HBO’s The Final of Us has been getting rave reviews for being not solely one of many few high quality live-action online game variations, however a genuinely good collection in its personal proper. It’s even won over some cynics. By all accounts, the PlayStation recreation adaptation is trying to be the subsequent tentpole HBO collection alongside the likes of Home of the Dragon, The White Lotus and Succession.

Better of all? It was filmed totally in Canada. From July 2021 to June 2022, the present was shot across none other than Alberta, a pleasant change of tempo from the numerous Toronto and Vancouver productions. What’s extra, it has a Game of Thrones-level budget of at least $100 million USD (about $133.8 million CAD), which is believed to be the biggest TV production in Canadian history.

In some ways, then, the collection serves as a showcase for the province as a complete — not simply its vistas, however its gifted crew members and actors. On high of that, the sport has a sprawling story a couple of smuggler named Joel (Pedro Pascal) who should escort scrappy teen Ellie (Bella Ramsey) throughout a zombie-infested U.S., so we get to see a wide range of areas and climates.

With that in thoughts, listed here are a few of the Alberta filming websites to maintain a watch out for in The Final of Us:

Calgary

With out stepping into spoilers, the primary episode of the collection partially takes place years earlier than the collapse of humanity, so we get to see numerous regular residential areas. These scenes, which embrace Pascal, Nico Parker (Joel’s daughter, Sarah) and Gabriel Luna (Joel’s brother, Tommy), have been filmed in Calgary.

Lots of the post-pandemic scenes within the present, particularly those involving highways overrun by foliage, have been additionally shot round Calgary. Northland Village Mall, specifically, was given the post-apocalyptic treatment for the show, presumably to adapt flashback scenes from The Final of Us: Left Behind (a 2014 growth to the unique recreation) that includes Ellie.

Moreover, the city’s Mount Royal University and SAIT — anticipated to face in for key scenes set at a Colorado college — make appearances.

Canmore

The little Albertan city performed host to The Final of Us in an enormous manner. As co-creator and showrunner Craig Mazin told us in an interview, Canmore was chosen for being a “lifeless ringer” for Jackson, Wyoming, a key setting involving Joel, Ellie and Tommy.

Individually, Pascal and Ramsey also both told us how Canmore was their favorite location out of the entire shoot, with the previous saying “each inch of Canmore was simply this magical little city… with actually nice fudge.” (Alas, we didn’t have time for a follow-up query, so it’s at present unclear the place, precisely, Pascal was getting his fudge.)

It stays to be seen which episode(s) will function Canmore, however anticipate to see the “magical little city” pop up a bit later within the collection.

Edmonton

After all, the provincial capital also features in the show for numerous Boston areas, together with the Alberta Legislature Constructing standing in for the town’s Capitol. You’ll first see Edmonton fairly shortly within the present — the primary two episodes, particularly, in scenes with Pascal, Ramsey and Anna Torv (Joel’s good friend Tess).

Fort Macleod

With a inhabitants of round 3,000, Fort Macleod is ideal for “small-town” scenes. Within the case of The Final of Us, one of many key moments from the Texas-set prologue was shot here.

Excessive River

Ramsey name-dropped High River to us, which was used to adapt a pivotal scene from the unique recreation’s prologue. (If you understand, you understand.)

Waterton Lakes Nationwide Park

In our interview, Ramsey shouted out this snowy location, which was dwelling to the manufacturing for a number of days as a stand-in for Colorado.

After all, this solely touches on a few of the many Alberta areas featured in The Final of Us, provided that it was a serious year-long manufacturing. even a number of of those, although, makes it clear how a lot of a task the province performed in bringing a beloved online game to life. The truth is, Pascal even told us that he felt it was “essential” there, praising the crew and different locals.

“I really feel like being there was important to the expertise — that we couldn’t have accomplished it wherever else,” mentioned Pascal. “Bodily, for one, but in addition for our crew and the heat and the dedication and all people actually in it collectively and caring as a lot. There wasn’t a fraction of apathy in all the expertise, and truthfully, it felt Canadian to me.”

The Final of Us will start streaming solely on Crave in Canada on January fifteenth.

For extra on The Final of Us, take a look at our review of the collection and interview with several of the cast and crew, together with Pascal, Ramsey, Mazin and co-creator Neil Druckman. We even have a review of The Last of Us Part I, final yr’s remake of the unique The Final of Us recreation.

Picture credit score: HBO, Canmore




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